Part 135 study guide?

[scubabri]

What do I need to study to take and pass a 135 checkride, um.. with the FAA.


b

 

[Supersteve]

Brian,

You will have to know your aircraft like the back of your hand (or as good as your inspector). That include speeds, numbers, and systems.

You will have to know the 91 and 135 regs, again like the back of your hand (our as good as your inspector). If it's a VFR captian ride, don't forget your VFR requirements. Knowing the airspace is good also.

Basically, you need to know as much or more than the inspector giving the check ride. The best way to know what they will ask is to ask someone who has gone through the same check ride you are preparing for with that inspector.

If you would like I can e-mail you a copy of the list we used with our inspector. Contact me @ [email protected]

Steve

 

[labbats]

Basically, you need to know as much or more than the inspector giving the check ride.

Time out....

Let's shift back to reality for a second. Yes a 135 ride is tough, and you need to be knowledgable, but c'mon man. I know several of my former instructors that passed that ride, and they were far from achieving that.

 

[Deftone45075]

Hold on Labbats,

Knowing as much or more than the Inspector is not a difficult task, at all.

And hold off on commenting until you've taken one yourself.

As previoussly mentioned, know your aircraft. If your going for the ride than you have already been trained on the airplane most likely so you should be pretty sharp already. Know your procedures and call outs, especially in a two pilot airplane if that is the case. The inspector wants to see a professional, by the book, operation. So use the checklists, and make sure you have the correct responses. Make sure you know the aircraft profiles.

Be familiar with 135/91, but especially with your company's Ops. Specs. Know what your authorized to do and what you aren't. Know about duty times and rest periods, this is a common question. Know about alternate mins and alternate requirements. Know what you need to file IFR to an airport. Know what you need to go into an airport VFR, these are also common questions.

It is a thorough checkride, but nothing to worry too much about. The Inspector is not going to purposely look to bust you, since it i with the FAA, he/she will find something to say so that they feel they tought you something.

Good luck.

 

[Rick1128]

Having taken many checkrides over the years and as a check airman giving them, the above posters have missed a few items. The following items are fair game during the checkride:

AIM
FAR Part 1
Part 61
Part 91
Part 135
Part 830
Company Operations Manual
Company Operation Speicifications
Aircraft AFM
Aircraft MEL
Enroute Charts
Approach Plates
Aircraft

First of all since you are taking the checkride with the Feds, ensure that your aircraft is 100% airworthy. I have seen way too many checkrides not completed because a Mx Inspector didn't like a logbook sign off or another paperwork issue.

Next make sure that all the required aircraft paperwork and documents are in the aircraft and CURRENT. And by current, I mean that they have the revisions and those revisions are signed off.

You are not expected to know everythuing in the above information. But you are expected to know the things you deal with everyday. Weather, minimums, where you can operate and so on. Things you do not deal with everyday, like MELs or Lower than Standard Takeoff Minimums you are expected to know where to find it.

During the oral DON'T, DON'T EVER, DON'T NEVER EVER, give a BS answer to an inspector. If you do not know the answer, tell them do not know, but that you can find it where ever. A majority of the orals are busted because of BS answers or the checkee gives an information dump.

During the oral LISTEN to the question and then answer JUST the question. Give the Inspector just exactly what he asked for. The guidance inspectors have does not allow them to give open ended or ambigious questions, but they do. If the question is not clear or well enough defined, ask them to define it further. They are required to do so by Order 8400, Volume 5.

On a IFR ride, you will get a few VFR questions, mostly cloud clearance and visability questions. Usually about Class G airspace.

good luck.

 

[Supersteve]

labbats,

There is no need for a time out. . . The inspector will not fail you if you don't have a correct answer. As Rick pointed out it had better not be a BS wrong answer though. Honesty is the best policy. If you don't know something tell them that, then tell them where to find it.

The inspectors that I have run into DO NOT know everything.

Your first 135 check ride is going to be nerve racking. You don't know what to expect. You have a lot of new info rolling around in your head and it may not all be organized. The inspectors know that.

The best prep you can get for a 135 check ride comes from your Department Chief Pilot. He has been through it with the inspector before. The inspectors are typically creatures of habit (like most pilots). The same questions seem to find there way into the oral, the same approaches seem to find there way into the ride.

As far as the regs, aim, opspecs. . . Keep a copy on your toilet tank. If your can learn something new before you or your ass falls asleep your doing pretty good.

Typically (not always) the degree of difficulty of any check ride is directly proportional to the amount of PIC time you have in you check ride airplane. It may not seem that way, but the inspector is not going to ask someone with 40 hours PIC in King Air 200 the same questions they will ask someone with 2000 hours PIC in the same. The answers will some how come out a lot easy when you have the latter.

Also, as deftone pointed out the inspector will be very happy if he feels he taught you something (not everything) during your check ride. His ego needs to be stroked also.

 

[cvsfly]

What do I need to study to take and pass a 135 checkride, um.. with the FAA.


b

I assume you have been hired by a 135 company or expect to be? SIC or VFR PIC? The SIC ride should be very easy and quick. IFR PIC you will have to have 1200 tt, 500 xc, 100 night, & 75 act or sim instrument. Your companies training program should prepare you for the ride. If it is a single PIC operator without a training program they still should have some training aids for you.

 

[scubabri]

The flight school that I work for also has a 135 cert. I figure if I study real hard.. that when something comes up I'll be ready for it.

At this point, it will be just VFR because I don't meet the IFR mins yet.. hopefully soon.

b

 

[FalconPilot69]

One other thing.

Verify with the inspector, and I realize this might sound like a stupid comment, but I will clarify, as to whether you are doing this under Part 135 or 91.

For the clarification portion. I fly both 135 and 91 on a 90. The fed arrives and states we are taking the ride under 91 rules. Here was the problem. We did not have a first aid kit on board which is required by 135, therefore, he held up the 8410 until he could get a ruling from the FSDO. Again, sounds stupid but it happens.

Regarding the comment about about knowing the regs better than the inspector, I have to agree. Case in point. The pilot who was taking a PIC line check for the same 90 has an ATP and a first class medical in its 8th month or so. The fed begins to tell him that we cannot continue with the ride due to him being an ATP but have what would equate to a 2nd class medical. I had to quote the requirements for an ATP with him and told him that the regs are right in front of us if he would like to verify what I just stated. Needless to say, he realized he was wrong and the ride went forward.

Anyhow, hope this little bit helps and good luck.

FalconPilot69

 

[Rick1128]

Definately. if you believe the inspector is incorrect, point out to him why you believe him to be incorrect. BUT, you better be right and know exactly where it says he is incorrect. I use the format of "The way I understand FAR 135.XXX, Order 8400, Volume 2, Chapter 6, I can do this and this" You can find Order 8400 on the web. It is the guidance for Air Carrier Inspectors. Sometimes I am right and some times I am wrong. But you will surprise most Inspectors by knowing about Order 8400. There is a great deal of information about the conduct of checkrides. How manuvers must be conducted and what is passing. Also before you do the flight portion of the checkride, sit down with the inspector and discuss what manuvers will be done and how you and he will perform manuvers. Primarily things like VMC demos, engine failures on takeoff and SE approaches. While Inspectors tend to be very conservative, every once in awhile one has a wild method of doing manuvers. If you believe that the method he will use is unsafe or could damage the aircraft, tell the inspector that and bring your Chief Pilot into the discussion. While your Chief Pilot and the Inspector may determine that the method used is safe, you have shown yourself as a safe pilot who is able to think for himself and is not afraid to say no and get a second opinion.

When I give checkrides, I consider not only the pilot's total time, but also seat position, is it an initial or recurrent ride, how much 135 experience does he have and so on. And the oral is based on thoe items. So an oral for a 700 pilot for an initial SIC BE90 ride is very different from a oral for a 10,000 hour pilot for a recurrent PIC Learjet and he has been flying 135 for many years.

Just keep in mind, many pilots are afraid of the FAA. Most of the inspectors do not fly regularly, very likely do not have any experience in your type aircraft and put their pants on one leg at a time. So just relax and do your job.